Solar light for outdoor pavilion

mlail
mlail Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Hi all,

I am being asked to install a solar powered light(s) in the community pavilion. We have had some teenagers doing things they probably should not be doing and the homeowner association board has agreed to install some lighting. Since power is not at this site, I was thinking about installing two motion detection solar lights in the pavilion structure. This should light up the area nicely. What do you think and do you recommend any products? I still need to investigate how much sunlight actually will reach the pavilion.

Thanks,
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #2
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    What is your budget and the amount of sun it will receive (you need a few hours of full sun per day usually).

    For a first pass--You might be better off just purchasing a couple LED Motion Detector solar power lights from Home Depot or equivalent... They will probably only last 1-2 years before they need to be replaced (usually the battery fails--but they are not well made and electronics/wiring can fail too).

    A full solar powered system will be quite a bit more expensive--and you would probably need to install in a metal box of some sort to prevent theft/damage.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • AntronX
    AntronX Solar Expert Posts: 462 ✭✭
    #3
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    I would just spay paint over the whole solar panel to keep those lights from disturbing my bad teenager activities.
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  • mlail
    mlail Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭
    #4
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    Bill,

    I'd say the budget is as cheap as possible so I am anticipating the Home Depot variety. I didn't see any LED versions that are solar and motion detection but I'll go back and check.

    I expect that those pesky teenagers will trash these pretty quickly, so I'm going to suggest that someone build and install a wire cage over the lights. It might prevent someone from getting lucky when they start throwing rocks at the lights!

    I believe that we will get about 3-4 hours of light per day (including winters). However, I have tasked my wife to ask the people around the pavilion to get a closer estimate.

    AntronX - Personally I would add an electric fence station to the wire cage so it will teach those pesky teenagers an important lesson but I know that I always do things over-kill! The neighbors will never go for that idea!:-)

    Thanks for these suggestions!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #5
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    There is this one from HomeDepot for $50:
    Heath Zenith 180 Degree Solar Powered Motion Security Light
    Model # SL-7210 Internet # 100645182
    Store SKU # 758890

    And there is this one with a 15 bulb--perhaps, graft a 1 watt+ LED assembly instead for longer life ($90)
    Heath Zenith 180 Degree Solar Powered Motion Security Light
    Model # SL-7001 Internet # 100645211
    Store SKU # 199205

    Neither of them are high quality and I would save the receipts of they fail to work.

    You can search the web and see what else is out there like this one from Amazon--Again, low quality and low price.

    I am not sure you are going to find what you are looking for--Also, I am not sure a small security light is going to really keep teenagers away.

    Doing a little human engineering to keep the folks away at night?

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion
    BB. wrote: »

    Doing a little human engineering to keep the folks away at night?

    -Bill

    Classical music has been known to work.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    i think opera might work better.:roll::p
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #8
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    Then, there is the Age Sensitive "drive away the kids" noise maker:

    The Mosquito - Wikipedia
    The Mosquito or Mosquito alarm (marketed as the Beethoven in France and the Swiss-Mosquito in Switzerland) is an electronic device, used for solving loitering problems, which emits a sound with a high frequency. The newest version of the device, launched late in 2008, has two frequency settings, one of approximately 17.4 kHz [1] that can generally be heard only by young people, and another at 8 kHz that can be heard by most people. The maximum potential output sound pressure level is stated by the manufacturer to be 108 decibels (dB).[2] The sound can typically only be heard by people below 25 years of age, as the ability to hear high frequencies deteriorates in humans with age (a phenomenon known as presbycusis).

    The device is marketed as a safety and security tool for preventing youths from congregating in specific areas. As such, it is promoted to reduce perceived anti-social behaviour such as loitering, graffiti, vandalism, drug use, drug distribution, and violence. In the UK, over 3,000 have been sold, mainly for use outside shops and near transport hubs.[3] The device is also sold in Australia, France, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and the USA.[4]

    The Mosquito has attracted controversy on the basis of human rights. Critics say that it discriminates against young people and infringes their human rights, while supporters argue that making the Mosquito illegal would infringe the human rights of shopkeepers who suffer business losses when "unruly teenagers" drive away their customers.[5] Mosquito distributors have said that they keep standards to ensure that the device is not abused, and Howard Stapleton who invented the device has asked European governments to legislate guidelines governing its use.[4]
    Your mileage may vary...

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • nsaspook
    nsaspook Solar Expert Posts: 396 ✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion
    BB. wrote: »
    Then, there is the Age Sensitive "drive away the kids" noise maker:

    The Mosquito - Wikipedia

    Your mileage may vary...

    -Bill

    That device has been banned due to some unwanted side effects. ;)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUkmIlBNM8M

    Usually the best thing is to channel the kids energy into something constructive. Anything that has girls and music should work.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #10
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion
    nsaspook wrote: »
    ...to channel the kids energy into something constructive. Anything that has girls and music should work.

    Isn't that how this whole thread started in the first place? :roll: ;)

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • mlail
    mlail Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭
    #11
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    Interesting ideas and I would love it if there were places that these kids could go but the element that wants to have sex with each other usually go to the fun places and then later to the dark places. This morning my wife went to the pavilion to see when the sun was hitting the roof and she found two kids skipping school and doing what teens do when no one is watching. No easy answers but maybe we can deter them some!

    I forgot about the sound devices but in either case, no grid power really limits what we can do. At least shedding some light on the area will make some look elsewhere, maybe.
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  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    How about a couple of dummy cameras?
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  • mlail
    mlail Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭
    #13
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    I have not noticed the need to chase these teens away but from the reports that I have herd, throwing kids bikes into the pond, sex, drugs... I can understand why some are concerned. Since this is community property, the whole neighborhood is responsible for what happens there. So maybe a little human engineering is in order!

    I read up on these and I also thought up another idea where we purchase a larger solar panel, say about 80w, light fixtures, motion detectors, fixture cages, some fluorescent bulbs, and cabling. I can donate all the UPS batteries we can use for a couple of years. Box it all in the rafters of the pavilion and that might work. I know the UPS batteries won't last and they will need protection or removal in the winter... Still just thinking out loud. I have to talk to the board members to see just how much money is available.

    Thanks for these ideas!

    BB. wrote: »
    There is this one from HomeDepot for $50:



    And there is this one with a 15 bulb--perhaps, graft a 1 watt+ LED assembly instead for longer life ($90)



    Neither of them are high quality and I would save the receipts of they fail to work.

    You can search the web and see what else is out there like this one from Amazon--Again, low quality and low price.

    I am not sure you are going to find what you are looking for--Also, I am not sure a small security light is going to really keep teenagers away.

    Doing a little human engineering to keep the folks away at night?

    -Bill
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #14
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    Probably the simplest is programming the sprinklers to come on a few times during the night and a few "misdirected" towards the pavilion.

    Otherwise, an 80 and some 12 volt motion detectors with LED spots would probably do a pretty good job of lighting the place up.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • CaptTurbo
    CaptTurbo Solar Expert Posts: 66 ✭✭✭✭
    #15
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion
    mlail wrote: »
    Bill,

    I'd say the budget is as cheap as possible so I am anticipating the Home Depot variety. I didn't see any LED versions that are solar and motion detection but I'll go back and check.

    I expect that those pesky teenagers will trash these pretty quickly, so I'm going to suggest that someone build and install a wire cage over the lights. It might prevent someone from getting lucky when they start throwing rocks at the lights!

    I believe that we will get about 3-4 hours of light per day (including winters). However, I have tasked my wife to ask the people around the pavilion to get a closer estimate.

    AntronX - Personally I would add an electric fence station to the wire cage so it will teach those pesky teenagers an important lesson but I know that I always do things over-kill! The neighbors will never go for that idea!:-)

    Thanks for these suggestions!

    As a farm kid I can tell you that I had pigs that were smart enough to short out the electric fencing so ... I would say that with the punks today, you have a 50/50 chance of the fence being smarter then they are.

    One thing that might actually help is to put a camera there along with the lights. Hunters use game cameras all the time and they work fine. I expect that a person could trigger the shutter as well as a pig or deer.
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  • AntronX
    AntronX Solar Expert Posts: 462 ✭✭
    #16
    Re: Solar light for outdoor pavilion

    The community where I live also has a bunch of small pavilions right on the lake near a side walk. Each pavilion has small lamp post with what looks like 60 Watt solar panel and 9 - 11 Watt CFL enclosed in down facing reflector with glass and wire cage. They don't seem to run all night, just until 2 - 3 am when hardly anyone would be out there. So, 60 W * 0.8 * 0.87 * 5 * 0.9 = 188 Watt/hours / 11 W = 17.1 hours of run time. 188/12.5 = 15 Ah, so use at least 30Ah 12V gel-cell or AGM battery. Use simple and cheap PWM or shunt charge controller with load voltage cutoff set to 11.5 Volts to preserve the battery life. Also, the timer may be a good idea, instead of running the light from dusk to dawn. Set it to turn on at sunset and turn off 8 - 10 hours later.
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